Speed-regulator for mechanical musical instruments



' No. 749,517. PATENTED JAN. 12,-1904.

H. P. BALL.

SPEED REGULATOR FOB, MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1903.

NO IODEL FIG.:L. 2

WITNESSES:

' law); 4 BY ATTORNEY Patented January 12, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY PRICE BALL, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUELINSULL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPEED-REGULATOR FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS--v SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 749,517, dated January 12, 1904.

Application filed September 25, 1903. Serial No. 174,548. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY PRICE BALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, county and State of New York, have 5 inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Regulators for MechanicalMusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

Different musical compositions are written I in different time, andconsequently the musicroll must be moved at a rate of speedcorresponding to the time. Further, in many com positions the time, andconsequently the rate of speed, must be varied at intervals during theplaying of the composition-that is, the

time and rate of speed fixed at one rate during the playing of a bar orbars, at another rate during the playing of asucceeding bar or barsand,further, the time and rate of speed fixed for any bar or bars must bemomentarily changedthat is, changing for the instant- Without alteringthe fixed time and rate of speed for the balance of the notes of the baror bars.

2 5 The speed regulation of mechanical musical instruments hasheretofore been accomplished by means of a lever which under the actionof a spring normally takes a certain defined position, generally midwayof a time-indicat- 3 ing scale. l/Vhen the performer desires to alterthe time and speed, he moves the lever to the required positionindicated on the scale, which may be either to the right or left of thenormal position on the scale, and holds it 3 5 there and which positionfor the purposes of this description I will term the second position.Should now a momentary change of speed be required, the lever is movedto the right or left of the second position and then 4 instantly back tothe second position. This arrangement seems very simple and effective;but in point of fact it does not obtain the best results, first, becausethe performer is required to hold the lever in the required position,and, second, when momentarily moved to the right or left of the. secondposition it frequently happens that he cannot recall the preciseposition previously occupied by the lever required to produce the timeand speed, the general efiect being confusion.

In order to overcome the objections stated, I have designed a regulatingmechanism wherein when the speed-lever is moved to any so-called secondposition it when released will remain in that position and when in such5 5 second position may be manually moved to produce the momentarychange in time and speed required and which will automatically return tosuch second position when released by the operator.

The objects of my invention are to simplify the construction of thespeed-regulating mech anism and obviate the necessity of the performermoving and holding the lever to and in all the positions necessary toproduce the 5 required changes of time and speed.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention, inwhicl Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 3 is a front detached view of theregulatinglevers. Fig. i is a side detached view of theregulating-levers. Fig. 5 is a top view and horizontal section of thespeed regulating plate and levers. 7 5

Referring to the drawings, A represents a musicroll, which is wound fromthe spool B onto the take-up spool G. The movement of the take-up spoolC is effected by means of the air-motors D, which transmit their motionthrough the shaft E and suitable gearing to the take-up spool C. Themechanism illustrated for producing movement of the musicroll is thatnow commonly employed. Manifestly any other suitable mechanism may be 5used.

The movement of the motors D is controlled by means of a valve F, whichcontrols a passage Gr through a wind-chest H. Secured to the valve F isa rod I, which is pivotally con- 9 nected to a link J, which in turn ispivotally connected to a lever K, pivoted at L. The lever K has securedto its front side an areshaped strap K, which incloses a lever M, alsopivoted at L. These two levers are resiliently connected by means of aspring N,

which spring is bent around the pivot L, one end carried in front of apin 0 on the lever K and the other end carried in the rear of a pin 1 onthe lever M. The effect of this spring, as will be readily understood,is under normal conditions to cause the axes of the levers K M to occupyparallel vertical planes.

The lever M is adapted to cooperate with a notched plate Q, suitablysituated on the front of the instrument. The notches R in the plate Qrepresent different speeds of movement of the musicrollfor instance, thespeed increasing with the notches from left to right, or vice versa. Thelever M at the top is provided with a horizontally-projecting V-shapedpin S, which cooperates with the notches R.

The operation of my device is as follows: To determine the position ofthe valve F, and consequently the speed of the motors D, the operatorpushes the lever K away from him and backward, which lever actingthrough the strap K releases the pin S on the lever M from engagementwith a notch R on the plate Q. The operator then moves the lever K andwith it the lever M through the interposed spring N to the right or tothe left, depending upon whether he wishes to increase or decrease thespeed, and allows the pin S to enter into engagement with the desirednotch R on plate Q. The operator then releases the lever K, which leverwill take the position occupied by the lever M. If now the operatordesires to momentarily change the speed, the lever K is moved to theright or to the left, held in the required position for the desiredtime, and then released, when it will under the action of the spring Nimmediately return to the position of the lever M i. 6., to the positionwhere its vertical axis will be parallel with that of the lever MWhatever its position at the time may be.

I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the use of theprecisemechanism shown, as it will be evident that various mechanismsmay be employed to accomplish the same re sult, the principal feature ofmy invention being the employment of mechanism which will initiallydetermine the speed of the musicroll and which will permit variation ofthe speed and automatically restore the speed to its initial rate whentemporarily altered by the performer.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In amechanical musicalinstrument, the combination with a music-roll and mechanism foractuaging said roll, means for initially determining, means for manuallyvarying and means for automatically restoring the initial speed ofmovement of said roll.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a music-rolland mechanism for actuating said roll, a lever for initiallydetermining, a lever for manually varying, and means for automaticallyrestoring, the initial speed of movement of said roll.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a music-rolland mechanism for actuating said roll, valve mechanism for controllingsaid actuating mechanism, a lever for controlling the initial positionof said valve, a second lever for varying the position of said valve,and means for automatically restoring said valve to its initial positionupon the release by the operator of the second lever.

i. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with themusic-roll and its actuating mechanism, a lever for initiallydetermining the speed of movement of the actuating mechanism, means forfixing said. lever in any defined position, a lever for manually varyingthe speed of movement of the actuating mechanism, and means forreturning the second-named lever to the position of the first namedlever when released.

5. In combination with the music-roll, of a motor device, valvemechanism for controlling the motor device, a pair of levers having thesame pivotal point, means interposed between said levers whereby, whenuninl'luenced, their axes will occupy parallel vertical planes, meansfor fixing one of said levers in an y defined position, and mechanisminterposed between the other of said levers and said controlling-valvemechanism.

6. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with amusic-roll, of air-ope 'at ing mechanism for actuating said roll, avalve for controlling said actuating mechanism, and a pair of levers forcontrolling the position of said valve, one of which is connected tosaid valve and the other capable of being given defined positions andconnected to said firstnamed. lever through a spring device, whichnormally tends to maintain the levers with their axes in parallelvertical planes.

7. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with the music-roll and val ve-controlled mechanism for actuating said roll, of twolevers having the same pivotal point, connecting means interposedbetween one of said levers and the valve mechanism of the motor device,means for fixing one of said levers in defined positions, and means forautomatically moving the second lever and the valve mechanism connectedthereto in coincidence with the first-named lever.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY PRICE BALL.

Witnesses:

J. E. PEARSON, FRANK OCoNNon.

IIO

